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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24667492">All thanks to the ex</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/xJane/pseuds/xJane'>xJane</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>SKAM (France)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:15:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,619</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24667492</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/xJane/pseuds/xJane</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Oh my god! You thought Lucas and Eliott are an item?”</p><p>“What? Of course! Did you not see them? They were all over each other, and Lucas had that blissed-out look on his face…”</p><p>“Oh, god, that’s the craziest thing I’ve heard all week! No, man, that’s just how those two are. They’ve been friends for like sixteen years, basically all of Lucas’ life.”</p><p>*****</p><p>Realising you are in love with your best friend can be hard. Sometimes you need a bit of help. From your boyfriend, for example.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>177</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>All thanks to the ex</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I have read a story somewhere else about somebody's partner pointing out that their s/o is in love with their best friend instead of them - I can't remember where. So this story was inspired by that. I don't think the rest of the plot is too similar though. Let me know if the original story was yours (or if you know whose it was), and I will link to it.</p><p>Also! I usually try to keep POV consistent. But there is a small change of POV in this story. It is very clear, and I don't think it'll bother anybody but me, but I'd rather be upfront about it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lucas Lallemant was living his best life. He was at the park with his best friends, the sun was shining, giving everything that golden spring glow, they had a free afternoon – maybe the last one before they would have to devote every waking moment to revision for their bac – and his boyfriend was coming over in a few minutes.</p><p>He was excited to introduce François to Eliott. His best friend hadn’t yet met his boyfriend. Lucas had been at a party with the gang a few weeks ago when they had – quite literally – ran into each other. From one thing came another and since that night, Lucas and François had been <em>LucasandFrançois</em> – and if that didn’t sound marvellous to Lucas the world might as well stop turning.</p><p>They had told Eliott all about Lucas’ boyfriend, of course – Eliott had been just as proud as the rest of the gang had been that Lucas finally had managed to find one. Lucas had even put up with the gang’s <em>completely unnecessary</em> embellishments when they told the story – <em>you should have seen him, Eliott, he was redder than ever</em> – because he just was so happy. The only thing missing right now was Eliott meeting François. He just wanted his best friend and his boyfriend to get along.</p><p>And today that would finally happen. They were all waiting for François to be done with his classes. As always, Lucas sat between Eliott’s legs and Eliott’s hands occasionally stroked through Lucas’ messy hair. Lucas leaned back against Eliott, his eyes closed, enjoying the sun on his face and relaxing with Eliott’s arms around him.</p><p>His daydream was brusquely interrupted when somebody pulled him up crudely and slapped him in the face.</p><p>“Hey! What the actual fuck!”</p><p>He held his hand to his burning cheek. François was standing in front of him, his hands rough on Lucas’ shoulders, his face contorted in pure fury. He shook Lucas violently.</p><p>“You asshole! You lying, cheating asshole!”, he yelled, his face only a few centimetres from Lucas’. </p><p>“What? What did I –”</p><p>Lucas managed to get a few stumbled words out when Yann suddenly pushed François away from him.</p><p>“Hey, dude, what the fuck? Why are you slapping Lucas like that?”</p><p>Outraged, François turned to Yann.</p><p>“Why the fuck? He is just sitting here all lovey-dovey with some other guy! And you all –”, he pointed at Yann, Arthur, and Basile one by one, “you just let him cheat on me? Fuckheads!”</p><p>Yann’s face showed absolute confusion. Lucas thought his own face surely wouldn’t look any better.</p><p>“What the <em>fuck</em> are you talking about? I didn’t cheat on you!”</p><p>François looked around, bewildered, at the puzzled faces of Lucas and the gang.</p><p>“Then what would you call this? I mean, you are sitting here, all cuddled up with that bastard…” He gestured at Eliott.</p><p>Then he sprang towards Eliott, his hand balled into a fist, and swung hard. With a dull thud his fist connected with Eliott’s jaw. Lucas screamed, and jumped in between the two before anybody else could react. His hand went up to Eliott’s face.</p><p>“Eliott! Are you okay? I’m so sorry!”</p><p>After a small nod from his best friend, he drew himself up to his full height. Still keeping himself between Eliott and François, he let loose.</p><p>“What the fuck, François! What has Eliott ever done to you? You don’t get to hit him, do you understand? You stay the fuck away from my best friend! Stay the fuck away from me if you ever even as much as think about doing shit like this <em>ever</em> again!”</p><p>Everybody got quiet for a second. François hesitated. Lucas’ eyes were ablaze and he almost snarled when François tried to say something.</p><p>“Well, maybe you should have thought about that before you cheated on me with him, then…”, he blurted out, then faltered.</p><p>“I already told you, I did not! Eliott and I are friends! And even <em>if</em> I did, you should have hit me, not him!”</p><p>“Friends? But… it looked like… I thought…”</p><p>François seemed a bit insecure, as Lucas still threw murderous looks at him, every time he looked away from Eliott’s jaw, still murmuring apologies to his best friend. Yann interrupted.</p><p>“Oh my god! You thought Lucas and Eliott are an item?”</p><p>“What? Of course! Did you not see them? They were all over each other, and Lucas had that blissed-out look on his face…”</p><p>“Oh, god, that’s the craziest thing I’ve heard all week! No, man, that’s just how those two are. They’ve been friends for like sixteen years, basically all of Lucas’ life.”</p><p>François looked between them.</p><p>“But… Lucas basically sat in his lap…”</p><p>Arthur cut in.</p><p>“Did he? Really, dude, we don’t even notice anymore. They are always touching somehow.”</p><p>“It’s pretty disgusting, really,” Basile piped up, “we just ignore it.” </p><p>Lucas shushed the boys, having calmed down somewhat after Eliott assured him for the twentieth time that he was okay, nothing some ice and rest wouldn’t fix.</p><p>“Listen, man, the boys are correct for once. I’m not cheating on you. This is my best friend, Eliott. Remember, I told you about him?”</p><p>Eliott tentatively took a step closer and held out his hand for François.</p><p>“Hi. Good to finally meet you, Lucas has been telling me so much about you.”</p><p>Another long beat passed and nobody moved. Then François huffed, pointedly turned away from Eliott, ignoring his outstretched hand, and addressed Lucas somewhat calmer, but in no way nicely.</p><p>“It may not be cheating, but it’s still rather unfair to lead somebody on. You shouldn’t get together with someone when you’re obviously in love with your fucking best friend, Lucas.”</p><p>“What? I’m not in love with Eliott!”</p><p>Something softened in the other boy’s face at Lucas’ clear perplexity.</p><p>“Oh, so you haven’t figured it out yet? Well, newsflash, you are. And it’s probably reciprocated, too.”</p><p>“Wait – no – you are mistaken – I am not – Eliott is not –”</p><p>François held up his hand.</p><p>“It’s okay. You guys will figure it out. But we are over, Lucas. I deserve better than to be used as some sort of second choice.”</p><p>Lucas now looked more afraid than confused.</p><p>“No! François, you are not second choice! I’m not in love with Eliott! Don’t leave, now, please, we can talk about it –”</p><p>But François put his finger to Lucas’ lips.</p><p>“Bye, Lucas. No hard feelings, okay?” </p><p>He glanced at Eliott. </p><p>“Take care of him.”</p><p>Lucas missed the tiny nod Eliott gave the boy. But Yann, perceptive as always, saw it, and it got him thinking.</p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>“So,” Yann said.</p><p>He was sitting across Eliott at the coffee shop. It was a bit strange, to be just the two of them, without Lucas or the others. But he had thought about what happened last Wednesday all week, and he knew he couldn’t let things go on as before. So he had shaken the slightly weird feeling and texted Eliott to ask if they could meet. It was as if Eliott had known something was afoot, because it had taken him a couple of days to respond, and even then, it was a short, almost resigned <em>Fine</em>.</p><p>And now they were here.</p><p>“So,” he said again, not knowing where to start.</p><p>“So,” Eliott repeated, fiddling with his napkin, not looking Yann in the eye.</p><p>“He was right, wasn’t he?”</p><p>Yann didn’t elaborate, but he knew Eliott understood him by his hitched breath.</p><p>“Who?”</p><p>“Don’t beat around the bush, Eliott. You know who. He was right, wasn’t he?”</p><p>“Well…” Eliott finally looked up, looked at Yann, and seemed to make a decision. “I don’t know if he was right about everything. But about me… yes, he was.”</p><p>Yann released the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.</p><p>“So… you are…”</p><p>“In love with Lucas?” </p><p>Eliott sighed.</p><p>“Yeah. Yeah, I am. Unfortunately.”</p><p>“Why is that unfortunate?”</p><p>Eliott let his head hang down.</p><p>“Why? Yann, he doesn’t feel the same!”</p><p>Yann looked at Eliott pensively.</p><p>“Are you sure about that?”</p><p>“I think I’d know it if my best friend, who I’ve been in love with for years, felt the same about me, Yann. Shit,” he ran his hand through his hair, “I’ve never even said it out loud, you know. You’re the only one who knows.”</p><p>“Not the only one…” Yann said cautiously. </p><p>Eliott looked at him questioningly.</p><p>“François. He took one look at you and he knew.”</p><p>Eliott sighed again, even more miserably as before.</p><p>“I know. I am probably horrible at hiding it…”</p><p>Yann patted his hand.</p><p>“None of us ever noticed, Eliott.”</p><p>“It was obvious enough for a total stranger, though, Yann.”</p><p>“Well… He did say something else too, Eliott.”</p><p>“About Lucas? Yann, believe me, he is not. Fuck, I hope he didn’t believe François about me, either…”</p><p>Yann shook his head. </p><p>“Why not? Eliott, maybe he was right on both accounts. Maybe Lucas feels the same. Why don’t you just talk to him?”</p><p>Eliott almost jumped up at the suggestion.</p><p>“I can’t! It’ll be all awkward and weird and Lucas will feel guilty about not loving me back like that and it’ll just ruin everything, Yann!”</p><p>“I think it might <em>solve</em> everything, Eliott. I think Lucas has feelings for you, too. No, don’t interrupt me,” he interjected when Eliott opened his mouth, “it’s true I never noticed anything before, because I only met you and Lucas when you guys were already so close and it just seemed… the way you two were, you know? But I thought about it a lot after that day. And I see why he would think Lucas was cheating on him, with the way you two were sitting. Lucas is not like that with any of us, Eliott. Why does he let you hold him, cuddle him like that? And he always comes to you whenever he feels sad, or angry. Only after telling you, he comes to us with the things that bother him, when you have already comforted him.”</p><p>This time Eliott did interrupt him.</p><p>“That’s just because I’ve known him all his life, Yann! And he doesn’t cuddle with you guys because you guys don’t cuddle him. Or maybe he thinks it would make straight guys feel weird if he touched them like that, I don’t know. There may be a thousand reasons why he is more tactile with me than with you guys.”</p><p>“There may be a thousand reasons, Eliott, or it may simply be because he’s in love with you. He didn’t care about being slapped himself, he didn’t give a shit about François insulting us, but the moment he laid a finger on you Lucas became some sort of mother tiger, all protective, ready to fight for you, Eliott. He was more worried about you than about any of us, himself and his boyfriend included.”</p><p>For a moment, it seemed like something glimmered in Eliott’s eye. But then it was as if the blinds were pulled close again, and a tight-lipped smile appeared around Eliott’s mouth.</p><p>“Listen, Yann. I appreciate you trying. But I know Lucas better than you do. I’ve known him all his life, I’ve been in love with him for years. He doesn’t feel the same. And I would be grateful if you don’t mention this conversation to Lucas.”</p><p>And with that he stood, leaving Yann. </p><p>“Stubborn as fuck,” Yann muttered to himself.</p><p>He wondered if he should ignore that last part and talk to Lucas. But he couldn’t betray Eliott’s trust. He'd done his best. If these boys wanted to remain oblivious and unhappy, it was not his fault.</p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>Lucas hadn’t seen Eliott since his break up with François, now more than three weeks ago. He told himself he was just busy studying, but even their text conversation had been limited, stilted. The occasional <em>What’s up?</em> from the one or the other, a couple of days later a reply of <em>Nothing much, you?</em> or some other non-descript small talk. No calls, no impromptu hangouts, no pizza dates, nothing.</p><p>Frankly, things didn’t sit well with Lucas. He missed his best friend.</p><p>But every time he picked up his phone to call him, or put on his shoes to go over to his flat, some voice – François’ voice – sounded in the back of his head. <em>You’re obviously in love with your fucking best friend, Lucas. You haven’t figured it out yet, but you are in love with him.</em> It didn’t leave him alone. It kept playing in the back of his mind.</p><p>And the more he heard it…</p><p>…the more he thought it might be right.</p><p>The more he thought about it, the more he remembered how safe he felt with Eliott. How he always just immediately wanted to hug him whenever they were together. How beautiful Eliott was. How his eyes were brighter than all the stars combined. How Eliott listed to him, whenever he felt upset. How he never told Lucas what to do, but went out of his way to cheer him up anyway. How he always let Lucas pick the movie, even though Lucas picked <em>Shrek </em>four times out of five. How his smile made Lucas feel like he was on top of the world – and how his smile always seemed to be that little bit wider for Lucas than for anyone else. How Lucas was the only one who could console Eliott just a tiny bit when Eliott was having an episode. How he woke up in the morning wanting to see Eliott and how he fell asleep at night wishing he could talk to Eliott. How he always wanted to share everything with Eliott – funny jokes he heard, dumb things that happened with the gang, and all his secrets and fears about his parents. How Eliott teased him, and how he smiled when Lucas teased him back. How Eliott looked at Lucas when Lucas played the piano for him. How Lucas was the only one of the gang whose spirit animal Eliott had ever drawn. How Eliott kept insisting that his food was actually edible, and then spitting it out after the first bite, and ordering pizza – always with mushrooms, because Lucas liked mushrooms. How Eliott had come out to Lucas, and how Lucas had come out to Eliott, and how Eliott had told Lucas he was brave enough to come out to the world, and how Lucas had felt brave with Eliott by his side, and how Lucas wanted to be brave because Eliott believed in him. How Lucas didn’t think he could survive without Eliott.</p><p>And still, after all that, it still hit him like a truck, the realisation, when it finally came, completely blindsiding him.</p><p>He was in love with Eliott.</p><p>And that was just… </p><p>Fuck.</p><p>Because there was no way in hell Eliott felt the same.</p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>There had been no more excuses.</p><p>Lucas’ exams were over, and he could no longer hide behind revisions and study dates to avoid Eliott.</p><p>So here he was, at Eliott’s flat, for the first time since he realized how he felt, and it was worse than he had feared.</p><p>The whole evening had been a disaster. Lucas did not know how to behave. When they had gone to sit on the couch, he had not known how to handle things. They had done this hundreds of times, eating pizza, watching a movie, their bodies slumped against each other, their legs entangled, one of their heads on the other one’s shoulder, or when the movie was boring, with Lucas’ head in Eliott’s lap, Eliott’s hands in his hair. But today Lucas had sat stiffly at the end of the couch, as far away from Eliott as possible, out of fear he would not be able to refrain from kissing him the second they touched. And of course, Eliott, sweet, innocent Eliott, had noticed, and Lucas had seen the hurt flashing in his eyes.</p><p>Eliott had managed to hide his hurt quickly, but then Lucas had refused to pick the movie, and Eliott had shrugged helplessly and put on <em>Shrek</em>.</p><p>Then he had tried to tease Lucas during the movie, as usual, and Lucas had grunted out one-word replies, because he didn’t trust himself not to blurt out his newly discovered feelings for Eliott.</p><p>And now the movie was over, and Eliott didn’t even look at him, and Lucas wanted to cry.</p><p>Everything was fucked up. Just because he had to fall in love with his best friend. </p><p>Suddenly he needed to leave. He couldn’t stand being so close to Eliott, and yet so far. He couldn’t stand being so close, and yet never be allowed to be as close as he wanted.</p><p>“I – I’m gonna go…”</p><p>He barely managed to bite back the tears.</p><p>Eliott jumped up and grabbed Lucas’ wrist.</p><p>“No! Please, Lucas, please. I’m so sorry… Just don’t leave. It’ll get better, I promise…”</p><p>Lucas shook his head, and Eliott looked dejected.</p><p>“God, I’m so sorry… I don’t want to lose you, Lucas. I’m sorry I have fucked everything up…”</p><p>And that was just so classically Eliott, beautiful, lovely, wonderful Eliott, thinking he was at fault when it was really Lucas who had ruined everything.</p><p>“I swear, Lucas, I didn’t mean to! It just happened…”</p><p>Wait. What was he talking about?</p><p>“I know I made everything awkward, and I understand you not wanting to cuddle with me anymore or anything, but just… please say we can still be friends?”</p><p>Oh, no. Did he know? Did he guess Lucas’ feelings? Did he realize, after François had pointed it out, that Lucas was hopelessly in love with him?</p><p>“I’ll get over you, Lucas, I swear!”</p><p>Eliott sounded almost pleading, both his hands on Lucas’ arms now. And it took Lucas way too long, but finally, his brain caught up with Eliott’s words. <em>Eliott</em> would get over <em>him</em>? Surely he misspoke? Slowly Lucas lifted his eyes from the floor and looked at Eliott.</p><p>His breath caught. Eliott looked at him imploringly, something in his eyes Lucas couldn’t decipher – fear and sadness and something else, something strange. </p><p>“What?”</p><p>Eliott’s grip on Lucas’ arms became stronger, and it almost hurt, but Lucas didn’t care.</p><p>“I know you must have figured it out, after what François said… But I promise you it doesn’t have to change anything between us, Lucas. I’ll get over it. I’ll get over you.”</p><p>Lucas though his heart stopped beating.</p><p>“Wait – what – what are you saying, Eliott? What do you think I have figured out?”</p><p>Eliott let go of his arms, and Lucas immediately regretted it. </p><p>“That I’m in love with you,” he whispered, turning away from Lucas. “But I’ll get over it – I don’t want to lose you – Lucas –”</p><p>And just like that, the vice that had been constricting Lucas’ heart for the past weeks broke, and Lucas felt as if the world could end right now and he wouldn’t care, the only thing that mattered was the miracle standing in front of him, his best friend, his <em>love</em>, his – everything…</p><p>“Eliott.”</p><p>Eliott didn’t react, didn’t move, but Lucas heard him sniffle, and god, he wanted to take all of Eliott’s sadness and worries and take them on, he wanted to only ever see Eliott happy and carefree and <em>in love</em>, and if he didn’t get to kiss him right about now he thought he might explode.</p><p>“Eliott. Look at me.”</p><p>And when Eliott still refused to listen, Lucas stepped around and lifted Eliott’s face with both his hands and stood on his tiptoes and pressed his lips to Eliott’s.</p><p>It was clumsy and short and strange, but Lucas knew it was home. </p><p>Eliott pulled back, and looked at him, not catching up with the events.</p><p>“Lucas? What –”</p><p>And Lucas laughed, pressing kisses all over Eliott’s jaw, his cheek, his chin.</p><p>“Eliott. I am in love with you. I think I have been in love with you all my life. I’m sorry I just now realized it.”</p><p>Eliott looked at him in a daze.</p><p>“You are? But then why did you not want to touch me tonight? Why were you so standoffish and closed?”</p><p>“Because I thought you didn’t feel the same. I was afraid of messing everything up between us.”</p><p>And finally, Eliott laughed too, that mesmerizing laugh that Lucas wanted to hear for the rest of his life.</p><p>“Oh, fuck, Lucas, I thought <em>you </em>didn’t feel the same… I thought you realized how I felt after that day, when François said those things, and you just felt awkward about it…”</p><p>“Well, I did! I felt very awkward about being in love with my best friend without even knowing it, and without having any idea you might ever feel the same…”</p><p>He surged up and kissed Eliott again, and again.</p><p>“I want to do that for the rest of my life.”</p><p>Lucas didn’t care if he sounded really sappy, he just wanted Eliott to know he was serious, he was in this for the long term.</p><p>Eliott put his arms around Lucas and pulled him as close as humanly possible.</p><p>“Me too. God, me too. It’s all I’ve wanted for a long time, Lucas.”</p><p>Lucas was in awe. This bright and beautiful boy loved him back. He secretly gave thanks to all the gods, to fate, to karma, to each and every universe out there.</p><p>“Sorry I didn’t figure it out sooner. Sorry it took my ex-boyfriend to spell it out for me.”</p><p>Eliott grumbled.</p><p>“I hate that I have your ex to thank for this. But I guess I will learn to live with it if you promise I’ll be the only boyfriend you’ll ever have from now on.”</p><p>And Lucas promised Eliott that, and everything else he wanted. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please feel free to point out any mistakes.</p><p>Also, if you want to leave me a comment, rest assured you will guaranteed put a smile on my face.</p><p>&lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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